The ideal things to do post-workout would be to use an infrared sauna and get a professional massage. Unfortunately, unless you’re a professional athlete, you probably don’t have access to these things. What you can do instead is to use a foam roller and thoroughly roll the muscles that you’ve been working out. Foam rolling helps prevent adhesions and scarring in the muscle fascia, which is a membrane around all your major muscles. When you feel a “knot” or “tightness” in a muscle, it’s often from an abnormality in the fascia. Foam rolling and massage can help prevent these abnormalities. It also relaxes your muscles and helps prevent them stay elongated.

In addition to foam rolling, take a nice hot bath or shower. This will increase circulation and help your body flush lactic acid out of the muscles. You should also eat a good, nutritious meal with plenty of plant protein. Plant protein is already in the form of amino acids that your body can use right away, unlike meat protein, which must be broken down first. You may also want to reward yourself with a relaxation ritual such as meditation.

A good post-workout routine will help prevent injury and pain. Less pain will make it easier to make the decision to work out next time. Cooling down also helps enhance the benefits of working out, which include more energy, better insulin response, weight loss, and increased focus.

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I’m a personal trainer with over 20 years of experience, and I have several clients with diabetes to whom I provide in-home services. Based on my years of experience, I have some advice on selecting a trainer for people with diabetes.

Your doctor has probably told you that physical exercise is an important component of your treatment, but it’s important that you pick the venue and fitness pro that’s right for you. Make sure that the person you’re considering has experience with the issues that affect you–not just diabetes, but other factors like mobility level, age, obesity, etc. Make sure they have a holistic mindset with respect to helping you reach your fitness goals. Some Doctors only prescribe medicine and don’t ask questions beyond that, and some trainers just want you to exercise as much as possible without considering other lifestyle factors.

In my experience, people with diabetes know their bodies better than anyone. They can tell when their sugar is high or low and make adjustments. As a trainer, I can’t prescribe actual treatment, but I can tell clients about herbs that some people use to help manage their blood sugar, like cinnamon bark. I can also provide advice on what to shop for at the store–organic food is best.

Make sure that your trainer includes functional training–that is, training focused on balance, movement efficiency, etc. These things are important for your whole lifestyle, and they’re not part of every exercise program (although they should be in my opinion.)

Last but not least–does this person respect you? Training someone compromised by a chronic illness isn’t something that every super-healthy fitness pro is mentally ready to do. Make sure you get a feel for them first.